Method of and means for handling material in annealing



'Patented Oct. 6, 1925.

UNITED s TATEsPATENT OFFICE. i

PHILIP DHUC DRESBLER, OF CLEVELAND, OHI'D, ABSIGNOB. T()l AMERICANIIRESSLEB TUNNEL KILNS, INC., OF CLEVELAND,

OHIO, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

KTHOD F AND MEANS FOB HANDLING MATERIAL IN ANNEALING.

Application tiled September 21, 1928. Serial No. 3.849.

To all whom it may concern:

y Be it known that I, PHILIP DHUC Danss- LER, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain,

and resident. of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of andMeans for Handling Material in Annee-ling, of which the following is aspecilication. I

The general object of my present invention is to provide an improvedmethod of, and improved means for handling small bodies of sheet metalsuch as armature punchings and protecting them against mechanical injuryand surface oxidation while the bodies are being annealed or subjectedto otherheat treatment tending to produce undesirableA surfaceoxidation.

The manner in which the general object A of my invention is attained ismade apl'iarent in the accompanying drawings and the foilowingdescriptive matter wherein I have illustrated and described a preferredform of apparatus specially devised for handling armature punchings inaccordance with the present invention although capable of use tor otherpurposes.

Of the drawings:

Fig, 1 is a sectional elevation ci apparatus for holding and protectinga stack oi aA .ture punchings;

Fig. 2 is a plan view partly brolien away and in section of theapparatus shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through a tunnel kiln in whichl theapparatus ot Figs. l and 2 is employed. y

In accordance with the present invention armature puuchings A oranalogous sheet D metal bodies are assembled in a horizontally laminatedstack on a support B provided with an uprising post Ciabou't which thesheet metal bodies are stacked.' When as in the case of the armaturepunchings shown, 5 the sheet metal bodies are of annular form, thesupport B may be made circular, with the post C rising from the centerof the support and shaped to suit thelopenlngsin the bodies A. As shown,the post-C is provided l with a rib C enteringithe/l key slots A' inthe-armature punchingsA, whereby the peripheral teethI A2 and slots Asof the punchings are held in register. Mountedon the stack of bodies Ais a follower weightD, l shownas provided with a central openlng arepunched out by the punching machine.

.mit the entrance of the kiln atmosphere, the

receiving the upper end of the post C which projects therethrough and isprovided 'above the follower with an eye C2 or analogous provisions forready attachment to a crane hook or other instrument for lifting andtransporting the support A and its. load.

With the described construction, the stack of sheet metal bodies` Amounted on a support B may be readily and safely transported 1n lunitsor` masses of convenient size. When the stack of sheet metal bodies thusasmbled and supported is subjected to an annealing or other heattreatment, the fiat' sides of the bodies A are well protected againstsurface oxidation since 'the compression oi' the stack b etwecnthe-support B and weight D prevents the oxygen of the air from cominginto contact with the fiat sides of the bodies in amountsutiicient toproduce Y substantial oxidation. The invention is of particularadvantage in handling armature or other sheet metal punchings, since itis readily feasible to assemble the punchings orl analogous bodies onthe supports as they The use of the invention makes it unnecessarytopack punchings' or analogous mate`v rial in boxes for annealingr oranalogousheat treatment V'Thile *my invention is not restricted to 85'use. in connection with any particular type of annealingl or otherfurnace it is especially advantageouswhen used in annealing the bodiesin a thune] kiln through which the bodies heated are passed on cars, asin the construction shown in Fig. f3, wherein F represents a kiln carrunning ontrack rails G in a tunnel kilnH. 'The particular kiln shown isthe Dressler' ty ie, in which heat is supplied to theakilnchamber by thecombustion ot fluid fuel in combustion chambers I runninglongitudinally' of the kiln chamber, and formed with channels I in theirwalls through which @convection current circulation of thekilnatmosphere is induced in the manner characteristic of the Dresslerkilns. In such a use of the invention, the i posts C of the worksupports may be made hollow, and open at their lower ends .to perhollowinteriors of the posts C being in register with openings F communicatingwith channels provided for the circulation of the. kiln atmosphere inthe work supporting platformof the car. The posts C may also .11

sa i, be open at their upper ends '"foinciease the circulation of thekilns atmosphere tlierethrough, but this is not ordinarily necessary.

While in accordance witli 'the provisions of the, statutes I haveillustrated and described a' preferred embodiment of my invention itwill be apparent to tliose skilled in the art that formal changes may bemade in tbe-apparatus and mode of operation disclosed, without departingfrom the spirit ofi Amy invention as set forth in tlie appended claims.

Having now described'iny invention, what Iclaim as new and desire tosecure b" lieb .Y ters Patent is:

1.In subjecting bodies of sheet metal to heat treatment, the improvementwhich ecnv sistsin piling the bodies in a horizontally Vlaminated stackon' a support provided witli an uprisinopost about which the bodies arestacked and by which the support and stack may be lifted and capping thestack with a Weight whereby tlie'stack is' compressed and the flat sidesof the bodies are substantially protected against the action" of' theheated atmosphere to which they are subjected.

2. Means for supporting and transporting sheet'metalbodies comprising asupport on which tlbodies may be piled ina horizon tall laminated stackand-Which is provided wit an uprising poet about which 'the bodies whichmaterial to be ani'iealed is stackedy and a post about which tliematerial is stacked, said post being; secured at its lower end to saidsupport and having `provisions at its upper end for detachableconnection to means for lifting said support.

, "llie-combination with an annealingkiln cai' formed with channels forthe circulation` of the liln atmospiieg'ein the Work supporting platformof the car, of work supports.

removably mounted on said car and each consisting oit support onwliiclimaterial to be annealed is stacked, and a post about 'Wliichtiiematerial is stacked, said posts llaving hollow interiors connectinglower ends with said channels and eacli havvprovisions at its upper endfor detachaole connection to means for lifting the supports. f Y

Signed at Cleveland, in the *county of C yaboga and State of Ohio' this17th day o@ September B. i923. i Il?" ofill@ DRESSLER;

